Bank.



J. KOMOROUS.

BANK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24, I916.

mwfiw Patented Aug. 20, 191a 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ms NORR'S PEYERs cu PHOID-LI1H9- vusmrmmn, o. c.

rrnn STATES ra'rnnr orrron.

JOSEPH KOMOROUS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PARISIAN NOVELTY COM-PANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnrH KoMoRoUs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Banks, of which the followingis a specification.

lvfy invention relates more particularly to improvements in savingsbanks of the small, portable type and preferably adapted to be carriedabout in a persons pocket and into which coins may be readily inserted,and be withdrawable therefrom only upon opening the bank through themedium of a tool specially designed for this purpose, this type of bankbeing commonly employed by savings-bank institutions for distributionamong its customers.

One of my objects is to provide a novel and simple construction of bankwherein the difficulties in opening the bank, by one not possessing theproper tool, shall be sufliciently great as to render it practicallyimpossible to open the bank unless the proper tool is used: Anotherobject is to provide means whereby the removable cover of the bank,which is removed to discharge the" coins therefrom, may be locked inposition on the coverwithout the use of a tool; and other objects are toprovide improved guard-means for the coin-slot, to provide for thesecuring of the celluloid-covered disk to a disk cooperating therewithto prevent rotation .of the covered disk independently of the other diskwhen grasped by the op erator and turned in the course of eitherassembling or disassembling the parts, and to provide for a novel formof connection in a container between an end thereof and the adjacentedge of an annular side-forming member.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure l is a perspective view ofa bank constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top viewof the bank with the cover removed. Fig. 3 is a face view of the insideof the cover. Fig. 4' is a section taken at the line t on Fig. 6 andviewed in the direction of the arrow, showing the cover locked in place.Fig. 5 is a view like Fig. i, but showing one-half only of the bank,with a tool inserted therein for releasing the lock holding the coverinplace, the tool being shown in the position it assumes when the partscontrolled thereby are released. Fig. 6 is a section taken at the line 6on Fig. i and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 7 is afragmentary view taken at the line 7 on Fig. 4 and viewed in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 8 is a detalned view in elevation of thecoin-guard and the plate which with the wall of the bank, forms ahousing for the guard, these parts being shown disassembled from theother parts of the bank. Fig. 9 is a view like Fig. 3 of a part of theconstruction therein shown, a portion thereof being shown in section todisclose a detail of the manner of engaging the celluloid-covered diskwith the disk cooperating therewith. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary face viewof a disk forming a part of the bank structure. Fig. 11 is a view inside elevation of the annular member forming the sidewall of the bankand which is connected with the disk of Fig. 10; and Fig. 12, asectional view showing the manner of securing together the parts shownin Figs. 10 and 11.

The bank, generally stated, which in the construction shown is circular,consists of a body-section 20 and a cover-section 21, these parts beingrelatively rotatable, and means hereinafter described for releasablylocking the cover-section 21, against removal, on the body-section 20.By preference, the bodysection 20 is formed of a circular bottom plateor disk 22 provided about its outer edge with teeth 23; an annularmember, or band, 24 provided about its lower edge with teeth 25 whichmesh with the teeth 23 on the disk 22 and are bent over to overlap thebottom surface of the disk 22 as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 12; and acover-disk formed of a disk proper 26 of relatively stifl' material, asfor example sheet-metal and having a continuous flange 27 with acovering 28 of celluloid crimped about the flange 27, the cover-diskbeing secured to the band 24 and disk 22 united as stated, by theflanged portion of the cover-disk which is crimped in placed about thelower edge of the band 24.- which, by preference, is outwardly flaredshown. The annular member, or band, 24: contains a coin-slot 29 and isformed at its upper edge with an inwardly-projecting continuous flange30 having a depending lip 31 along its extreme inner edge, said flangecontaining at intervals therein a series of arc-shaped notches 32 to 37inclusive, all of these notches in the particular constructionillustrated, being unequally spaced, the distance between the notches S3and however, being only a slight distance greater than the distancebetween the notches 32 and The cover-section 21 is, in the particularconstruction illustrated formed of two sheet-metal disks 38 and 39, thelatter being covered with celluloid, as indicated at all), andinterlocking with the peripheral inargin of the dish 38, by means of aflange all on the dish the dish 38 being preferably downwardly oh'set atits peripheral port-ions froin the disl: The cover 21 is provided on itsunderside with depending outwardly projecting angular lugs 4:2 to M,inclusive, preferably stamped froin th dish 38 and arranged in acircular series represented in. Fig. 3, these lugs being so disposed onthe cover-section 21 that when the latter ap plied to the body-portionof the banlr to a certain position thereon, these lugs all to ii"inclusive. wi l register with the notches 32 to inclus e, respectively,passing downwardly theret-hrough and extending below the plane of thelower edge of the lip in which position the disk 38 rests at its lowersurface upon the upper surface of the flange at which fiatwise-abuttingsurfaces the cot and body section are relatively rotatable on each otherto cause the lugs to interlock with the flange30, it being understoodfroin the drawings that this is pos sible because the bases of theangular lugs i2 and d7, inclusive. lie within a circle of slightly lessdiameter than the diameter of the opening presented by the inner edge ofthe continuous flange 30. By preference the notch is located centrallyof the coinslot as illustrated in Fig i and a struck- ,p portion 1-8 onthe disk 38 in the same line radial of the center of this disk as thelug serves as a means for indicating to the ne assembling the coverwitht-he body of the bank, the position to which the cover hould berotated for quickly properly posiioning the latter to cause the lugsthereon o register with the cooperating notches in the body forinterlocking these parts toit will be understood from the foregoing thatit is necessary. before the cover 21 can e removed from the body-sectionto open e bar that the cover occupy such a position on the body-sectionthat its lugs 4:2 to dl". inclusive, register with the notches 32 to 37,inclusive, resgect-ively and to prevent the increment of the cover to aposition wherein the lugs are in such position of registratioinexcepting by one using the proper tool, 1 provide the followingdescribec n'iechar n: The outer edges of the lugs to if, inclusiye arepreferably areshaped to provide the curved surfaces 1-9,

namesawith notches therebetween as represented at 50, these curved andnotched portions cooperating with catches for releasably holding thecover against rotation on the body of the bank. While the distancebetween the lugs as and 13 is less than the distance between the lugs a3and at the distance between the notches in the lugs a2 and a3 is thesame as the distance between the notches 50 in the lugs i3 and d4. Thesecatches are shown in the form of springlugs 51 and preferably formed asparts of a plate 53 of springy niet-al, thesespringlugs being formed bybending; the ends as and of the metal backwardly and inwardly to theposition illustrated in Fig. 4, whereby the catches 51 and 52- arecapable of being flexed. The plate 53., which pref,- erablysubstantially snugly fits between the upper surface of the disk 22 andthe under surface of the flange 30, is held against longitudinalmovement by lugs 30 struck downwardly from the flange 30, this platecontaining a slot 56 which registers with the slot 29 and through whichthe coins are introduced into the interior-of the bank; The catches 51and 52 are spaced apart a dis-V tance equal to the distance between thenotches 50 in the lugs 42 and as and the notch 50 in the lapa3 asillustrated in Fig. l, these catches oeing preferably spaced an equaldistance from the center of the notch 35.

After the operator applies the cover 21 to the body 200i the bank tocause the lugs l2 to 7, inclusive, to register with the notches to 37,inclusive, respectively, to lock the cover to the body herotates thecover either to the left or to the right. Assuming that he rotates thecover to the left, viewing the bank in the position shown in Fig. a,namely wherein the cover :21 islowerinost the lugs 1 to 4:7, inclusive,will move out of registration with the said coiiperating notches in theflange 50 and into registration with the imperforate portion of theflange 30 to a position in which the catches 51 and52 extend into thenotches 50 of the lugs 12 and i3, these catches in this movement ridingupon the adjacent curved surfaces d9 of these lugs and springing intothe notches 50 when the latter are moved into registration therewith.

it will be understood from the foregoing that the cover 21 is thuslocked against rotation on the body 20 of the bank and the lugs $2 tol7, inclusive, cannot be moved, into registration with the respectivenotches 32 to inclusive. until the catches 51 and 52 are withdrawn fromthe notches 50 into which they extend as described. A suitable tool isprovided for withdrawing these catches to permit rotation of the cover21 to the proper position for effecting its separation froin the body.The tool for this pur pose is represented in Fig. 5 and comprises hilt?a pair of legs 57 pivotally connected together at 58 and provided attheir outer ends with outwardly-turned extensions 59 havingterminal-surfaces 60, and a shoe 61 mounted on the pivot 58 and adaptedto bear against the outer surface of theband-section 24 in the operationof springing the catches 51 and To withdraw the catches 51 and 52 fromthe notches 50, the operator inserts the outer end of the tool of Fig. 5through the coin slot 29 and the slot 56 to a position in which thesurfaces 60 of fiatwise against the inner surfaces of the free ends ofthe members 54 and 55, to one side of the catches 51 and 52, the latterbeing located at the upper edges of these members (Fig. 7). The operatorby grasping the opposite ends of the legs 57 and drawing them togetherspreads the ends thereof which are disposed in the inside of the bank,and as the shoe 61 engages the outer surface of the band 21 and preventsthe movement of the pivot 58 toward the center of the bank, thespreading of the ends of the legs 57 in the bank while in engagementwith the members 51 and 55, presses the latter outwardly in a directionto release the catches 51 and 52 from the notches 50 of the lugs 12 and43.

It will be manifest from the foregoing description that the cover 21 maybe locked to the body of the bank by the mere act of applying the coverthereto in the proper position as stated, and thereupon rotating it ineither direction, and while this manner of locking the parts together isin accordance with the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will beunderstood that if desired the operator in applying the cover 21 tolocked position on the body may withdraw the catches 51 and 52 from thepath of movement of the lugs 50, by using the tool shown in Fig. 5. Inthis connection it will be manifest that it is possible, that before thetool has been released to permit the catches 51 and 52 to extend intothe path of the notches 50, the operator may have turned the cover 21fart-her than the position in which the catches 51 and 52 register withthe notches in the lugs e12 and 43 or 4:3 and 44, as the case may be.Continued turning of the cover 21 under such conditions will cause oneof the catches 51 or 52 to drop into one of the notches 50 in one of thelugs which will prevent the cover 21 fromibeing turned vuntil this catchis released from the notch 50. Should one seeking to open the bankwithout the use of the proper'tool, succeed in releasing from this notch50 the catch which happens to extend into it, he may turn the cover, butbefore the latter reaches a position in which it may be withdrawn fromthe body, both of the catches 51 and 52 will spring into the notches 50in the lugs 42 and 4:3 or 43 and 4-1, as the case may be, depend ingupon the direction in which the cover is the legs 57 bear turned, andthus make it necessary to re lease both of these catches 51 and beforethe cover 21 can be rotated to the proper position for removal, and ifthe one seeking to remove the cover does not happen to rotate the latterto a position in which both catches 51 and 52 enter notches 50, oneofthe catches 51 or 52 will enter a single notch and thus accordinglycomplicate and increase the dilficulties of moving the cover 21 toproper position for opening.

The idea of providing two separately operative catches 51 and 52 whichsimultaneously are positioned in notches 50 in two of the locking lugsas stated, is to make it practically impossible for one tampering withthe bank, without using the proper tool, to open it, inasmuch as it isnecessary in order that the bank be opened, to have both of the catchesremoved at the same time. In order that the maximum difficulty inremoving the catches from the notches 50, be presented, I preferablyprovide in the members 54 and 55, closely adjacent to the extremitiesthereof, holes 62 and preferably inwardly offset the metal of the plateat opposite ends of the slot 56 therein, as represented at 63, whichthus prevents the flexing of the catches 51 and 52 by means ofbutton-hooks, wires, knife blades, etc. being inserted through thecoin-slot.

The coin-slot of the bank in the construction illustrated is providedwith a guard for preventing the removal of coins from the bank bywithdrawing them through the coin-slot. The form of coin-guard which isshown is designed more particularly for use where the coin-slot is ofsuch proportions that it will permit of the introduction into the bankof coins of relatively large denomi nations as, for example, quarters,the bank as well being provided for receiving pennies, nickles anddimes, and the same principle may be applied to banks for receivinglarger coins. The idea in this connection is to provide a guard whichshall be so constructed that it cannot be spread either to allow thesmaller or larger coins to be withdrawn from the bank through the slot.The coin-guard as shown is made in sections 6.6 (Fig. 8), each formed ofa piece of spring-wire bent to present a pair of finger-sections 6%having diverging end-portions 65. These springwire sections are confinedbetween the band 24 and the plate 53 to extend in opposite directionsand are slightly spaced apart with the sections 64: of each pair ably incontact with and centrally disposed relative to the slot 29 as shown inFig. 8, these spring-wire sections 66 beingheld in place betweenshoulders 67 on the plate 53 formed by offsetting the latter F ig. 4),and outwardly-struck lugs 68 on the plate 53L The wire from which theguard-device is formed is preferably round and it will be thereofpreferoperat n" espectively, with s readilv understood from theforegoing that while the portions of each of the separate sections 66 ofthe device will spread apart to permit a coin. to be inserted into thebank. the coins can not be withdrawn from the bank past the guard-deviceinasmuch as it would be necessary to spring apart the pertions 6%of'both sections of the guard-device simultaneously to permit the coinsto pass outwardly even i it be a small coin, inview of the arrangementof the parts as shown and described, and such spreading of thecoin-device would not be possible as the too! or tools by which thespreading would be eiiected would obstruct the withdrawal of the coin.

In the constructing the cover-section 2-1 of the bank where the latteris formed. as is preferable. with a celluloid covered disk 39, there isunder certain conditions, a possibility that the grip of the dish 39 asits flange-portion 1 thereoin against the disk 38 will not besu'liicient to insure at all times the rotation of these parts as alilliittl'y structure. To prevent any possibility of rotation of thecelluloid-corered us on the dish l1 0d 238, I provide in the peripheraledge of the disk preferably four, or more notches, one of which isindicated at 69 into which the celluloid forming the inturned portion ofthe covering; i0 bulges and thus interlocks therewith in the operationof crimping the disk to the dish 38 and holds these parts againstrelative relation.

i he :teature of securing together the dish 22 and band 2% ashereinbefore stated. is desirable, especially where the bottom dish 26is celluloid covered, inasniiuch as the engagement between the band andthe dish 26 is celluloid to metal and might permit disengagement ofthese parts the spilling of the contents of the bank under suchcondition being prevented by the rigid connection of the dish with theband While I have illustrated and described a particular constructionconstituting what I now regard as the preferred form which my inventionmay be provided 1 do not wish to be understood as intending to limit myinvention to such construction as the same may be variously modified andaltered without departing from the spirit of my invention, it bein myintention to claim the invention as fully and completely as the priorstate of the art will permit.

"il hat 1' claim as new and desire to secure byLet-ters Patent is 1*- l.in a banlr-structure the combination of relatively rotatablereceptacle-forinins sections, one of said sections containing apluralityof recesses. lugs on the other of said sections adapted toenter said recesses one of said sections containing: a coin-slot, and aplurality of spring lOClElJQ' means coaid lugs and Na A eleaudit lochsaid s cgainst e rotation to a position in which said said recesses,upon the i of re ating said sections relative to each o'her to aposition in which said lugs and recesses are out of resistration, saidlocking means being releasable for permitting said sections to berelatively rotated to effect the registration of said lugs with saidrecesses for permitting separation of said sections tiv re 'ister withand in such releasing action requiring the action of force against bothsaid locking means at t is same time for holding both released againsttheir spring tension.

2. In a banlr structure. tie combination of relatively rotatablereceptacle-forming sections, one of said sections containing a pliralitv of recesses, pairs of spaced projections on the other of saidsections adapted to enter said recesses, one of said sections containinga coin-slot and a pluralit of spring locking means cooperating, respectively with said sets of projections. and adapted to automatically enterbetween the projections of each pair thereof and rtleasabl lock saidsections against relative rotation to a position in which said sets ofprojections register with said recesses upon the act of rotating saidsections relative to each other to a position in which saio projectionsand recesses are out of registration said locking means being releasablefor per mitting' separation of said sections and in such releasingaction requiring the action of force against both said locking means atthe same time for holding both released against their spring tension.

3. A tool'for the purpose set forth com prising a pair of leverspivotally connected together and each provided at one end with alaterally projecting extension, and a shoe device operatively connectedwith said levers and spaced from the said extension and projecting atopposite sides of said pivot.

i. A tool for the purpose set forth comprising apair of levers pivotallyconnected together and each provided at one end with a laterallyprojecting" extension, and a shoe device connected with the pivotconnectin lid nected pairs of resilient members which normally extendpartway across the slot toward its opposite ends and are movable in aplane substantially parallel with, and substantially equidistant from,the wall containing said slot.

7. In a bank-structure, the combination of relatively rotatablereceptacle-forming sections, one of which contains a plurality ofrecesses and the other of which carries a plurality of lugs adapted toenter said recesses and interlock with the one of said sections carryingthe latter to prevent said sections from being separated, uponrelatively rotating said sections, said lugs being provided withshouldered portions, and one of said sections containing a coin slot,and a member confined in said sections, said member containing a slotintermediate its ends disposed adjacent the said coin slot and havingits ends formed of spring metal and extending toward said slot andprovided with projections adapted to engage the shouldered portions ofsaid lugs for the purpose set forth.

8. In a bank-structure, the combination of relatively rotatablereceptacle-forming sections, one of said sections containing a recess, alug on the other of said sections adapted to enter said recess andinterlock with the section containing said recess, when said lug ismoved to a position out of registration with said recess, said lugextending radially outward and containing a notch, and aspring-locking-device for releasably engaging said notch to lock saidsections against relative rotation to a position in which said lug andrecess register, said locking-device extending between the side wall ofthe bankstructure and the portion of said lug engaged by saidlocking-device.

9. In a bank-structure, the combination of relatively rotatablereceptacle-forming sections, one of said sections containing a recess, alug on the other of said sections adapted to enter said recess andinterlock with the section containing said recess, when said lug ismoved to a position out of registration with said recess, said lugextending copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the radially outward, and locking means carried by the one ofsaid sections containing said recess and adapted in the relativerotation of said sections in either direction to interlock with said lugand prevent relative rotation of said sections to a position in whichsaid lug and recess register, said look ing means extending between theside wall of the bank-structure and the portion of said lug engaged bysaid locking means.

10. In a bank-structure, the combination of relatively rotatablereceptacle-forming sections, one of said sections having aninwardly-projecting flange containing a recess, a lug on the other ofsaid sections adapted to enter said recess and interlock with saidflange when said lug is moved out of registration with said recess, saidlug extending radially outward, and locking means carried by the one ofsaid sections containing said recess and adapted in the relativerotation of said sections in either direction to interlock with said lugand prevent relative rotation of said sections to a position in whichsaid lug and recess register, said locking means extending between theside wall of the bank-structure and the portion of the lug engaged bysaid locking means.

11. In a bank-structure, the combination of relatively rotatablereceptacle-forming sections, one of said sections containing a recess, alug on the other of said sections adapted to enter said recess andinterlock with the section containing said recess, when said lug ismoved to a position out of registration with said recess, said lugextending radially outward and containing a notch, with the portions ofsaid lug at opposite sides of said notch inclined toward said notch, anda spring-locking device carried by the one of said sections containingsaid recess and adapted in the relative rotation of said sections ineither direction to move against one of said inclines and interlock withsaid notch and prevent relative rotaton of said sections to a positionin which said lug and recess register.

JOSEPH KOMOROUS.

Commissioner or latente,

Washington, D. 6.

